The rain was delicious. People with umbrellas all the colors of the rainbow were about, shivering and splashing hastily across squares and down alleys. It was cold and wet, but I'm so glad I went. The quiet sounds of the rain-washed water city, the sharp highlights on cobblestones and statues, the damp, musty smell of the streets, and the kaleidoscope of

Estimates

When you contact me, the first thing I will ask for is a 5-page excerpt from your MS. I'll edit these pages and send them back as a sample of my work with the estimate for the whole project. This will give each of us an idea of what we're working with.

Here is the language I use in my estimates:

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"If this sample represents the quality in the rest of the MS, at XX pages formatted to industry standard, I estimate that the project will likely take me XX-XX hours and run $XX-$XX at $XX/hr. It would take around XX business days to complete.

Please note that the estimate is just that -- a ballpark to help you budget, and it is not a firm price, though I make every attempt to stick to it. The final price could go up or down, depending on what I find as I dig into your text. The estimate is based on page count, formatted to industry standard, not word count. If you need to brush up on standard manuscript formatting (SMF) take a look at my website. If you still have questions, just let me know!

To begin, I would need an $800 deposit to hold a reservation in my schedule. This deposit is fully refundable if you cancel or reschedule 91+ days before your reserved start date; after that, I will try to re-book the time, but if I cannot, then it is non-refundable.

If we do the project together, I'll make sure to keep a close eye on progress so there will be no surprises, and remain available for questions and updates throughout."

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Estimates are tricky things, but I will always remain completely transparent, communicative, and do everything I can to get the project done within budget and within estimate. My goal is for everyone to come away happy, excited, and ready for more.